A Christmas Ball
by LooneyLovey
Summary: Dumbledore tells the Head Boy and Girl that they have to organise a Christmas Ball since it's the first Christmas without the Dark Lord. The Head Girl seeks help from a certain someone and tempers spark, chaos ensues. HG/SS


**Merry Christmas! **

**There will be three chapters to this story, and they will all (hopefully) be over 5,000 words in length. Some of you will ask why am I writing a new story when I have a load of others to complete...well the answer is I don't know. I do have a few chapters in the works for my other stories so hopefully they should be up soon. **

**The next two chapters will hopefully be posted sometime in the near future and for people who are going to tell me when I post them it's not Christmas any more I know but I am going to try and get them all up by the end of December but don't hold me to that as I have a mountain of work to get through and not very long to do it. **

**If anyone wants to take the time to Beta this story they are more than welcome because at the moment it is 2.30am on Christmas Day and I really want to sleep but I needed to get this story up before the craziness sets in. I have checked through it twice but I will change any inconsistencies that people find. **

**The last thing for me to say is I hope you enjoy it and please leave a review at the end, it would really be cherry on the cake.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (it was on my Christmas list but by the sounds of it Santa didn't bring it) or anything associated with it.

* * *

**

A ball, he had organised a ball a week before it was due to happen. What was wrong with that man!

Seventh Year Hermione Granger sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall silently wishing that the Headmaster would choke on a Lemon Drop. Last Friday during Transfiguration she had gotten a note saying that she and the Head Boy were to meet the Headmaster in the Great Hall in five minutes and that they been excused from lessons for the rest of the day. They had met the old man in the Great Hall only to find Christmas decorations littered around the floor and in the middle of them the Headmaster with a sheepish expression on his aged face. He had then gone onto explain that since this was the first Christmas that the Wizarding world didn't have the threat of Lord Voldemort over their heads he wanted to celebrate it with a grand gesture...a ball. He then said that due to his duties as Headmaster and the renovations to part of the castle he didn't have the time to organise anything and wondered if they could do it for him. How could you say no to the man who helped defeat Voldemort? The answer was you couldn't which meant that she and Draco Malfoy had the impossible task of organising a Christmas Ball for the whole school.

Today was the 24th December, Christmas Eve. The food and drink was organised, the band booked and the teachers informed of the Ball. Everything was sorted. During the week the Headmaster had allowed most of the students to go down to Hogsmade village to purchase new dress robes with certain teachers acting as chaperones. She had decided that she would transfigure hers, which was one more thing she didn't have to worry about. Draco had told her that he already had his.

The ball was to be held on Christmas Day, a few hours after Christmas dinner had been served and the tables cleared away. Then, after the Great Hall was cleared of student and food it would be decorated by a group of Charms students and Professor Flitwick. Professor Snape was providing contraception potions that were tasteless to put in the punch and Professor _McGonagall_ was charming the punch so no-one could spike it. Attendance was mandatory for every pupil and Professor, something that had not gone down so well with some people. She remembered telling Severus of that little fact, it had not gone as expected.

* * * * *

_A knock on the door had alerted him to an unwanted pupil at his door. He was tempted to shout at them to 'Bugger off' but decided that if someone wanted to bother him then they would face the consequences of their actions. He got up from his seat, yanked open the door and sneered when he saw the Gryffindor crest on the robes of the person who stood before him. It was only when he saw the face attached to the robes did he relax his posture. _

"_Hermione, you had better give me a perfectly good reason for interrupting my Saturday morning?"_

_A stray piece of hair fell across her face and he had to fight the urge to brush it aside. They had developed a strong friendship over the summer holidays when she had stayed at Headquarters, her parents had been killed in a raid that he knew nothing about. He had also been there recovering from wounds he had received from the Final Battle. Over the weeks when he was well enough to brew he had taught her how to brew potions that were only covered at Master's level. Potions they wouldn't even cover in some Wizarding Universities. _

"_Well Severus, I just came to ask if you have already been informed about the Christmas Ball?"_

_Unnerved by his impulse and it being Saturday morning he snapped at her._

"_Of course I have you stupid girl, it's the only thing that our blasted Headmaster has gone on about for the past few days!"_

_She didn't look fussed by his answer used to his foul temper in the morning, she merely swept the piece of hair that he had so wanted to touch out of her face._

"_Good, that saves me some time then. May I come in?"_

_His mouth hung open at her bold announcement and she brushed past him and entered his sitting room and sat on the chair by the fire which she normally occupied when talking to him about the latest potion article. _

"_Hermione-"_

"_Oh shut it Severus. You are the last person I wanted to see today, believe me. I have many things to do today but this visit was inevitable. Now that I have established that you know about the ball I am here to tell you that your attendance to the ball is mandatory and that you will be there or else."_

_During her speech the Potions Master remained unmoved except for the opening and closing of his mouth. _

"_Hermione I am still your teacher and I expect to be treated as such and anyway you were only here last night why didn't you tell me then?" _

_His speech would have been a lot more impressive if not for her falling asleep half way through it. It was only then that he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. What had the girl been up to?. As he moved from his place that he had stood since she walked in, he heard her mumbling in her sleep._

"_Snape, conception potion. Flitwick, decoration. Going to kill Headmaster."_

_He almost smiled at the last one. Almost._

"_Miss Granger," he yelled expecting his voice to wake her up...and it did._

"_What?" Her confusion was clear in her eyes and he could hear the cogs working in her overtaxed brain._

"_You fell asleep in my chambers."_

_A look of realization crossed her face and he saw a rose coloured blush appear on her cheeks. _

"_Hermione when I said that I knew of the Christmas Ball I didn't realise that Dumbledore had left it up to the Head Girl and Boy to organise."_

"_I see," came her clipped reply._

"_What did you expect." He asked, wondering why Albus had left it up to the Head Boy and Girl to plan. _

"_The Headmaster told me that he would inform the teachers in the next staff meeting that the Head Boy and Girl were organising the ball and that staff co-operation was required and that staff attendance was mandatory. He left it up to us to make sure that teachers were attending but you say he didn't even mention that the Head Girl and Boy were organising everything?"_

"_I did say that, the only reason that I know there is a Christmas Ball was because of the first years mumbling to themselves about what they were going to wear."_

_If asked, he would deny all knowledge of what she said next._

"_That son of a bitch! He was supposed to bloody tell all of the teachers but no, apparently he his too busy to do even that. He had better hope that I do not see him today or else I will take great pleasure in making sure that he can never find a single Lemon Drop for as long as he shall live."_

_Now Severus Snape was not a man who got scared easily but right at this very moment he feared for the Headmasters life. He had only experienced her wrath once when he had accidentally scribbled something in the margin of her book, mistaking it for his own. After yelling at him she had given him the cold shoulder for a week and ignored any attempts he made to make it up to her, like brewing a master level potion with little guidance. _

"_Hermione, surely whatever the Headmaster has done isn't that bad."_

_As well as being a man who didn't scare easily he was also quite intelligent but his intelligence had obviously left him at that moment in time._

"_Isn't that bad? Tell me Professor are you studying for your N.E.W.T.s? Have you got to organise a Christmas Ball with only a week to organise it? Do you have to find something to wear and worry about which teachers will give her shit over attending?" Without waiting for an answer she carried on, "I thought not. I thought that after the war life would be easier."_

_Her hand shook and she made it into a fist to try and stop him from noticing. But it was too late, years as a spy had made him hyper-vigilant to the littlest thing._

"_You never told the Headmaster what happened at Malfoy Manor did you?"_

_She looked up at him in shock;_

"_What?"_

_Her time at Malfoy Manor had never come up in their late talks that they had when everyone else was asleep. They sat round the table at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place with a cup of hot coco and a jar full of marshmallows for her to dip into her hot coco. _

"_You hands, and I guess that if you do not at least try and calm down your whole body will be effected in roughly...ten minutes?"_

_She lowered herself into the chair that she stood beside and sighed._

"_Only the healers know, and as they can't do anything why should anyone else know?"_

_He saw the resignation in her eyes and he felt sorry for her. Before the Final Battle and sometime during the end of her sixth year he remembered Malfoy bragging about catching Potters Mudblood. How Bellatrix held her under Cruciatus for hours before inviting them all to throw hexes at her. She had made Potter proud though, acting insane to avoid spilling the answer that they so dearly wanted, but that didn't stop them form holding her under the Cruciatus curse for hours until she really did forget her own name. She had been dumped outside the gates of the school and left for dead until Hagrid found her and took her to Madame Pomfrey. Poppy had kept her in the hospital wing for a week after that and when she did return to classes she wasn't the same girl as before, she was quieter and she never had her hand up any more but the teachers didn't hassle her, they left her alone. From what he had gathered during one of Lucius' bragging sessions she had suffered damage internally and externally, he knew that she knew that she would bare the scars that Lucius had given her for the rest of her life._

"_Because they could help you." Came his delayed reply, but she didn't mind, she was looking at the heath wishing that there was a fire._

"_Help me? Severus unless you are brewing it there is no know cure for the after effects of the Cruciatus curse. I also know that you are a great Potions Master but you do have you limits and a potion to cure me is that and then some. But anyway, back to the matter at hand. The Christmas Ball."_

"_What about it Hermione?"_

"_Are you going to attend or am I going to have to threaten you?"_

_He was going to say no, but after what they had just been talking about how could he? The lines around her face were more pronounced and he could still see her hand shaking._

"_Of course I will attend. You can tell Albus that is one more thing he doesn't have to pester me about."_

_A sad smile was his reward for the right answer._

"_Good, that's one less thing that I don't have to worry about."_

_He couldn't help himself, he was naturally curious and he had to know what else she had to do._

"_So, has Albus given you many things to organise?"_

"_No, of course not. Only the whole bloody ball, and if I'm unlucky- which I am- then he will organise something for Christmas Eve, only notifying me at the last minute and expecting me to organise it!"_

"_Do you need any help?"_

_She looked up at him, tiredness written upon her face._

"_If your offering?"_

"_Hermione I would not have included the word 'help' in my last sentence if my offer was not sincere."_

_She came close to snarling at him._

"_In that case then, yes Severus I would like your help. I need you to brew me a batch of that contraception potion you brew for Poppy for next week. As I can't deplete Poppy's stores any more than I have done this past month."_

"_I will have it brewed by Tuesday at the latest."_

"_Thank you Severus."_

_She smiled at him, one which he almost returned._

* * * * *

She was brought out of her musing but a nudge to the ribs.

"Oy Mione, what do you think?"

"What do I think about what Ron?"

"About the Chudley Cannons winning this year?"

Now normally she would try and change the topic, ignore him or tell him to shut up but not today, today she was ready to slap him and only barely controlled the urge to do so.

"Ronald, since when have I cared about Quidditch or brooms or who wins the bloody cup. I'm going to the library, don't bother me."

Unlike some people Hermione Granger could make a clumsy exit look graceful, which is exactly what she did when she nearly fell of the bench. Sensing the mood that she was in the other Gryffindors ignored her. As she passed through the doors of the Great Hall she heard a sound behind her.

"What do you want," she whipped around, wand at the ready only to come face to face with the Headmaster.

"Professor I'm sorry I had no idea-"

"It's okay my dear, I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me, around the Black Lake perhaps?"

How could you say no to the Headmaster?

"Of course Professor."

They walked through the doors to the castle and set off on their journey towards the Black Lake. While the Headmaster was mumbling under his breath about missing Lemon Drops, Hermione was hoping that he didn't spring something else on her at the last minute.

"Tell me Miss Granger, how are the Ball preparations coming along?"

Well Headmaster, my hands have not stopped shaking all week, I have to spend an hour in the bath at the end of the day to sooth my aching muscles and I have run out of the headache potion that Severus was kindly supplying for me to keep up with your endless demands. That was what she wanted to say, what came out of her mouth was something completely different.

"Nearly finished Sir."

"Good, good. I was wondering Miss Granger..."

Oh no, she thought what else was he going to ask her to do!

"If we at all possible for you to help me organise milk and cookies for the students and staff?"

Milk and cookies? Was the Headmaster barmy or something?

"For when Sir?"

"Tonight Miss Granger."

Tonight!

"Sir...I don't know if it is possible to organise that for tonight!"

He stared down at her with his twinkling blue eyes.

"Miss Granger I would not have asked had I not thought you were not able to do it."

Was he being serious, milk and cookies for over 300 students not to mention the staff.

"Headmaster..."

But it was no use the Headmaster wasn't listening, he was mumbling about his Lemon Drops again. He looked up from his quest to find them to excuse himself from their walk.

"Miss Granger if you will excuse me. I seemed to have run out of Lemon Drops."

He walked off without another word leaving her standing by the shore of the Black Lake. She stood in the same spot for over ten minutes, her mind working overtime to try and organise everything in her head. That was how Severus found her. He approached her with caution, as he had watched her from afar stand in the same place since the Headmaster had left.

"Hermione?"

She didn't seem to react to the sound of his voice, so he tried again.

"Hermione?"

Still, no reaction.

"5 points will be taken from Gryffindor Miss Granger if you do not answer me."

That got a reaction out of her. She started to splutter indignantly and blushed when she realised what he had done.

"Severs," he could still see rouge across her cheeks, "I didn't see you there."

"Obviously."

Out of the corner of her eye he saw her hand start to twitch, his face softened.

"Hermione, don't you think it would be best if you went inside."

He motioned to her hand and she looked down at it with a expressionless face.

"Oh."

They walked side by side towards the courtyard, him shielding her from the cold breeze that blew in from the west and she mumbling to herself.

When they reached the Entrance Hall he guided her towards the Dungeons, more specifically his chambers. They reached the door and he mumbled his password and steered her towards her chair by the fire. While she sat down he went over to light the hearth and she smiled slightly when she felt the warmth wash over her like a summer breeze.

"Hermione?"

She looked up at his face, he almost winced at the expression there but didn't. Her face had always reflected her emotions and today was no exception. He could see that she was angry and her slumped posture told him that she was overwhelmed, he also detected a hint of sadness but brushed it off as last year blues.

"Yes."

His wand hand itched to preform Legilimency on her, but he wouldn't betray her trust like that.

"What happened, I saw you talking with the Headmaster earlier and you seemed...catatonic."

She smirked.

"I suppose that catatonic is the right word," she brushed a stray piece of hair away from her eyes, "our esteemed Headmaster asked me to organise _milk and cookies_ for the Hogwarts pupils and staff...for tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"No need to snap at me Hermione."

She smiled and leaned back into the chair.

"I know there isn't but it makes me feel a little better."

He almost smiled...almost. He seemed to be doing that a lot more, almost smiling in her company.

"What can I do to help?"

"Tea please."

He readily complied and as he walked over to his tea set that he had given him after the war Hermione reflected on how much he had changed after the war. He no longer favoured Slytherin, nor did he shout at every single person that did something wrong. Students could ask him for help and he would happily give them the answer or help them to work it out themselves, the lines around his face seemed less fewer and he occasionally smiled. He carried her tea over to her and she thanked him as she took the cup from him. She inhaled the mouth watering aroma and took a sip, there was tea...and something else.

"Strengthening solution Severus?"

"So you noticed that," it didn't surprise him that she knew of its taste.

"Of course, I had to have it everyday after my little escapade to the Malfoy estate."

"I see."

They sat in silence while they finished their tea and Hermione contemplated what he could do to help her.

"How am I supposed to notify everyone of _milk and cookies _in the Great Hall with only a few hours left to spare?"

He was silent for a moment before answering.

"House Elves."

Those people who knew her well enough knew of her Campaign for the House Elves and just as he had guessed she started to splutter her protests.

"But we can't...it's not right they-"

"Hermione, how long have you been at this school?"

She looked at him warily,

"Nearly seven years, why?"

"And throughout your seven years at Hogwarts have you heard any of the Elves complain about poor treatment?"

"No but-"

"Hermione, I believe that there are more pressing matters at hand that need your attention? The Ball perhaps. I was merely suggesting that you use them as to deliver the message that attendance in the Great Hall is mandatory after supper."

It was a mark of how tired she was that her brain and mouth seemed to have disconnected.

"Bloody hell Severus, a Christmas Ball, milk and cookies what's the old man trying to do? Work me into an early grave?"

She stood up and started to pace.

"I believe that after the war the Headmaster has forgotten that some people still carry scars from it which effect them daily."

Oh he had noticed the tremors alright, they hadn't subsided since they had walked through the door. She had tried to conceal them but after seeing her hands only a few days ago and experiencing first hand the after effects of Crucio the tremors were hard to miss

"Hermione, let me help you. Let me organise the milk and cookies while you go and get some sleep."

For once in her life Hermione Granger bookworm of Hogwarts was speechless.

"Severus I couldn't ask that of you."

"I insist."

Her emotions betrayed her once again as he could clearly see that she wanted sleep but was unsure about taking him up on his offer.

"If your sure then..."

"I'm sure."

Her face lit up slightly and he felt his heart give an uncomfortable flip in his chest.

"Thank you."

She looked down at the bottom of her cup and laughed. The Grim.

"What's so funny?" He asked his face clearly showing his confusion.

She reached over to show him her cup. His face turned serious for and she had a questioning look upon her face.

"You don't believe that getting the Grim is a bad sign?"

"Only if you believe in that type of stuff."

"And you do not?"

"Didn't you hear, I walked out of her class when I was in third year, useless drivel if you ask me. '_Use your inner eyes to see the future'._"

He didn't say anything, the only thing indication that he had heard what she had said was a short, sharp nod of his head.

"Merlin, you believe in it, don't you?"

"Miss Granger" she flinched at the tone of his voice and the use of her surname, but he carried on oblivious to her reaction, "I do believe seers and people with the 'inner eye' however teaching it to a bunch of dunderheads who would rather doodle love notes on a piece of parchment rather than write on it are not worth teaching." He finished off his speech by crossing his arms across his chest.

"I see, and do you class me as one of those 'dunderheads'?" She bowed her head and pretended to look closely at her teacup.

He shook his head with an amused smile on his face at the absurdity of her question, her a dunderhead! What a notion, if she was one then he failed his N.E.W.T.s. But she didn't see him nod his head as she was looking at the beauty of the dancing flames in the Hearth. There was a book that he had wanted her to read about the subject of Seers and as he turned towards the bookcase he missed the flash of hurt that crossed her face.

"I see." She looked longingly at his back and bit back a sigh, it would be of no use talking with him now as it would only hurt her worse. With that thought firmly planted in her mind she rose from her seat and made her way to the door. She slipped out without making a sound leaving the tea cup on the table beside her.

He turned around moments later expecting her to be sitting on her seat but was surprised to find it empty. Her teacup sat on the table beside the chair, taunting him with its tea leaves.

* * *

After Hermione had left Severus's chambers she had started to prowl through dungeon corridors for rule breaking students that dared to cross her. To her dismay she had not found any yet but that was not for the lack of trying, it seemed as though people were trying to behave today as it was Christmas Eve.

"Stupid, stupid girl. What did you think he thought of you as? A friend? An equal? I mean it's not like he knows-"

She heard rushed footsteps and paused mid rant.

"Oy Hermione, wait up."

Trust Draco to ruin a perfectly good ranting session. She stopped walking and waited for him to appear in front of her.

"What do you want Malfoy."

He looked slightly hurt at the use of his last name but his it well behind the Malfoy mask. It reminded her of not so long ago when Seve...Professor Snap...Mr. Snape -she didn't know what to call him now- had called her Miss Granger. She wanted to cry.

"Have you seen Dumbledore recently?"

She willed her face to remain neutral but Draco caught the look of hurt that passed over her face and started to wonder what made her so upset.

"Yes."

"You're not going to make this easy are you," without waiting for an answer he carried on "I only want to know if he has told you of the _milk and cookies_ that we are supposed to organise for after supper."

"Yes he did tell me."

"Shouldn't we get to organising it then?"

"Ask Severus."

She swept past him without a backwards glance, leaving a very confused Draco Malfoy in her wake. He shrugged his shoulders and decided to go and pay his godfather a visit.

* * *

Without realising it she had left the dungeons and ended up at the door to hers and Dracos' chambers. She snapped the password at the picture of Draconis the Dragon and entered the common room which they shared. There were two set of stairs at opposite ends of the room which lead to their rooms, hers on the left and his on the right. As she walked up the stairs she thought about what Severus had said and what he had not said when she had asked him if he thought of her a dunderhead.

She reached the door to her room, pushed it open and was greeted with a freshly made bed. Without taking her clothes off she toed her shoes in and climbed into bed, she felt the weeks events catch her up and before she knew it her face was stained with her emotions, tears ran freely down her face and she made no attempt to dry her face as a sob tore from her throat leaving her unable to breath. After a while her eye lids grew heavy no protest came from her lips as she off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Draco stood in the corridor before going to see his uncle. It wasn't that often that some annoyed Hermione to the point of no words, he had only done it once to see how she would react. He ended up with itching powder in his socks for the whole week and every time he tried to vanish it the powder ended up in another piece of his clothing. Needless to say he gave up after finding itching powder in his boxers. But he _had _caught a glimpse of the anger that she was trying so hard to conceal as well as the hurt that she was desperately trying to bury. All he knew was the direction that she had come from and a name, but that was all he needed.

He reached the door to his uncle's chambers and rapped on the door. The sight that greeted him wasn't a pretty one.

"Severus."

"Draco."

He was drunk and reeked of Firewhisky, had he sat next to the fire his clothes would have caught fire from the fumes coming off his robes.

"We need to talk."

His godfather didn't look surprised and as he brushed past him he took out his wand and cast a cleansing charm on him, and also one to take away the smell.

"What dya do dat for?"

He ignored his question and sat by the chair that stood by the hearth.

"What did you do to Hermione?"

"Didn't do nutin."

Draco ran his hand through his hair in frustration, it was no use talking to him while he was drunk.

"Where do you keep your Sober Up potions?"

"Bedroom."

He found the little bottle within two minutes of looking and smiled as he saw a picture of the Hogwarts staff on his bedside table. All the staff were lined up and on the end was a tall figure in black, he didn't even have to look at the face to see who it was.

"Draco, I'm going to be ick."

He sighed and went back into the room in time to see his godfather cough his guts up. One quick _Evanesco_ later and the mess was gone. He held the bottle up to Severus's lips and told him to drink, which he did obediently without protest.

"Draco, what are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes, his charming godfather never remembered anything while he was drunk.

"Fist answer me this, how did you get drunk so fast? I know that any liquor, cheap or expensive takes at least half an hour to get into the system. And I know it wasn't that long ago that Hermione left your chambers."

His reason for getting drunk in the first place.

"I took a potion to speed the process of getting drunk up."

Of course he would have a potion for that...he had a potion for everything.

"I came to investigate why Hermione seemed on the verge of crying when I ran into her in the corridor."

If it were humanly possible Severus's face went even paler than it was, the small smile that rested on his lips when he first saw his godson vanished and his demeanour changed completely.

"Ah."

"'Ah'. That's all you have to say?"

He could have hit his godfather is it wasn't for his upbringing.

Severus Snape, the unshakable potions master of Hogwarts looked at his godson pleadingly.

"Help me Draco, I made a huge mistake."

If he hadn't seen him drunk out of his mind less than a minute ago he would have said no and walked out the door but he had and he felt some sympathy for the man in front of him.

"I will but tell me why I am helping you, just remember that I have to share a common room with her and if she is in a foul mood tonight no-one will hear the end of it. Tell me why she stormed out of your chambers."

He looked as though he was about to argue but after thinking it through he conceded, Draco was right an angry Hermione was barely bearable but a Hermione who was angry and hurt was a nightmare to deal with if not approached correctly. He disappeared for a moment to retrieve his Pensieve and placed it on the table that stood in front of him.

"I will show you the memory, as it is quicker."

He pulled his wand out of its sheath and placed it at his temple. A silvery looking strand was attached to the end of it. He gestured to the Pensieve that stood in front of him, something that Draco had not seen him take out. The silvery strand was placed into the Pensieve and Severus gestured for Draco to dip his head in.

* * * *

_Draco heard her laugh and saw Severus turn around._

"_What's so funny?" Severus asked his face clearly showing his confusion._

_She reached over to show him her cup. His face turned serious for and she had a questioning look upon her face._

"_You don't believe that getting the Grim is a bad sign?"_

"_Only if you believe in that type of stuff."_

"_And you do not?"_

"_Didn't you hear, I walked out of her class when I was in third year, useless drivel if you ask me."_

_Severus didn't say anything, just nodded his head to show her that he had heard what she had said. _

"_Merlin, you believe in it, don't you?"_

_  
"Miss Granger" Draco saw her flinch, and there was part of the problem. He knew that his godfather and Hermione had been on first name basis for over a year and him calling her Miss Granger had probably shaken her terribly. It was also clear to everyone apart from them that they were madly in love with each other. He almost missed what Severus said next, "I do believe seers and people with the 'inner eye' however teaching it to a bunch of dunderheads who would rather doodle love notes on a piece of parchment rather than write on it are not worth teaching."_

_Draco snorted, his godfather had a way with words, but he saw her bow her head and pretend to look closely at the teacup in her hands. No doubt hiding the hurt that he had seen before. _

"_I see, and do you class me as one of those 'dunderheads'?"Draco saw his stupid godfather shake his head, and he was smiling! What the hell was he thinking, it was a good job that Hermione had developed a sudden obsession with the fire in the hearth. He saw Severus turn towards his bookcase and browsed through the shelves trying to find a book. It had better be a damn good book he thought and looked over to where Hermione sat, the same seat that he had sat in only moments before, trying to conceal the expression of hurt that was present upon her face. _

"_I see."_

_Draco saw her sigh and look longingly at the man at the bookcase, she rose from the seat she was sitting in and made her toward the door. She slipped out without making a sound and when he turned around, book in hand she had gone. Only the teacup remained, taunting him with its tea-leaves._

* * *

He was pulled out of the Pensieve and it was a good job that Severus had thought removed his wand while in there or else he wouldn't have been responsible for his actions had he been armed.

"You...you idiot!"

"Draco..."

"No, don't '_Draco' _me. You know she has been stressed out over the ball and now the demand that we all have_ milk and cookies_ after supper. Not forgetting the side effects she has due to the curse my _father_," he spat that word out like it was a poisonous spider, "cast upon her as well as what _Aunt Bella _did to her."

Forgetting his upbringing Draco started to pace the length of Severus's sitting room.

"Then you go and call her 'Miss Granger' what the bloody hell were you thinking!"

"I wasn't," came his reply.

The answer shocked Draco so much that he stopped his pacing and looked at his godfather. His head almost touched his chest and his hand had a vice like grip on the table where the Pensieve sat. When he spoke his words were controlled and even, Draco didn't dare interrupt him.

"I...didn't realise that my words had hurt her so...I had forgotten momentarily that she meant more to me than a student and I deeply regret what I said to her."

His face looked so pained that it would have been hard to continue arguing with him after that.

"Severus, what is she to you?"

He looked so taken aback at the question that Draco decided that it would be a good time to change the topic.

"What are we going to do about the milk and cookies? We can't ask Hermione to help as I have a feeling that she would slam the door on both of our faces," Severus flinched, "so we need a plan."

Severus walked over to the fire and stood in front of it, his hands rested on the mantelpiece above the hearth.

"I did tell Hermione that I would sort the milk and cookies out before all of this happened."

"I see. Well what are we going to do?"

He could see the cogs turning in his godfathers head and was grateful that at least someone in the room knew what to do. He snapped back into full Professor mode, temporarily forgetting what a mess he had made of his relationship with Hermione.

"Right here's what we will do; first get the House Elves to tape a message to the common room doors that attendance after supper for milk and cookies is mandatory and anyone questioning that fact will receive detention with me. Next make a trip to the kitchen and inform the staff that the Headmaster has request that there be milk and cookies available for everyone after supper. Then I want you to go to the Headmaster, tell him the plan and inform him that I will be visiting him later on today."

It was, when you stepped back and looked at it logically quite a simple thing to organise. But to Hermione it must have seemed like an impossible task to do at such short notice after organising a ball that they had only been told about a week before it was due to happen.

"Right, okay. House Elves then Headmaster. Tell me what are you going to do about Hermione?"

"Apologise...and beg for forgiveness?" His expression was almost comical and Draco bit back a snort, well if they didn't pull through something as stupid as this they would never be able to handle whatever lied ahead for them both.

"You do realise that you won't get through the door." Severus smirked the Slytherin smirk.

"Yes, that's why I'm going through the Floo."

"Well then I wish you the best of luck."

Draco made his exit via the door and Severus prepared himself for going through the Floo.

* * *

Hermione was not happy. She been had woken up from her much needed sleep by the sound of someone coming through the Floo and to her knowledge neither her or Draco could use the Floo from their common room without out the Headmaster being alerted. Either that or it was an emergency and they had to get somewhere fast but as far as she could hear there was no impending attack or problem that warranted the use of the Floo. Grudgingly she got out of her nice warm bed and made her way down towards their common room, pausing when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She shook her head at her appearance and hoped that it was only Draco.

As she reached the last step an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She looked up to see a lone figure clad in black brushing the soot off his robes. Severus. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, she did not want to see him. Not now, not ever.

"Professor Snape." Her voice was as frosty as an icicle and she saw his head snap up and his posture straighten.

"Hermione-"

"So it's back to Hermione now is it? I thought it was Miss Granger?" She would not let him talk his way out of this.

"That was a mistake." He bowed his head but she was tired and stressed and she couldn't care less.

She let out a breath and he looked up at her.

"Severus just go away, please go away."

She looked at him pleadingly, not willing to fight with him today of all days.

"Hermione I wanted to...apologise for my behaviour, it was uncalled for and I regret that what I said to you hurt you."

Her teeth caught her lip and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Severus at this moment in time I really don't care that you are apologising to me, as I said before I'm tired and stressed. Go away."

He now saw the anger in her eyes and he knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with her. He saw Draco creep up behind her and motioned to her then his chest, her whole upper body was starting to shake.

"All right. I'll go, but I am sorry."

With a swish of his robes and the glare of the Floo he was gone. Her knees gave out from underneath her and she would have fallen to the floor had Draco not been behind her.

"Shhh, it's okay. Come on let's get you to bed before you start convulsing."

The only reason he knew of her...situation was because he had overheard his father one night talking about how resilient the '_Mudblood_' was. He was a clever boy and had put tow and two together the first time he saw her hand shake. She would be cursed to a life of tremors if no cure was found. Something that he was secretly working on unbeknownst to her.

"Draco.." she hated how weak she sounded, but that was what stress did to her, it left her unable to lift a finger.

"It's okay, I've got you."

He lifted her up and walked the stairs to her room, mindful of her head and the bricks on the wall. When he entered her room he saw that her bed looked rumpled, she must have been asleep when his godfather had come through the Floo he mused. A soft snore alerted him to the fact that she was asleep in his arms and he carefully laid her down on the bed, gently brushing away the hair that fell over her face and onto her lips.

"Sleep well Hermione." It came out as a whisper and he backed away from the bed smiling slightly when he saw the soft rise and fall of her chest.

* * *

After Severus had left the common room he had made his way up to the Headmasters office and proceeded to tell...no shout at him that he was overworking the head students, especially Hermione. All the old man did was offer him a Lemon Drop and smile, his twinkling blue eyes telling him that he need not worry. His crystal decanted had suffered greatly when he got back to his rooms.

He was now sitting in the chair she had sat in, head in hands and whisky on the table beside him.

What was he going to do?

* * *

The day passed quickly after the fiasco with Severus and Hermione and before they knew it it was time to go down to the Great Hall for supper. As the Head Boy and Head Girl and had to be present for all meals Draco woke her up twenty minutes before they were due to do down hand so she could take a quick shower and get changed out of the clothes she fell asleep in. They both made their way up to the Great Hall ten minuted before everyone was supposed to be there and as the were about to enter the Great Hall Hermione turned to Draco and clung to his arm like a lost child.

"Draco we..I didn't."

He knew what he was trying to say and smiled at her.

"Don't worry Hermione me and Severus got it all sorted."

"But how...so many people?"

"We posted notes on the common room doors with a sticking charm that can only be removed by house elves and teachers. Anyway they will all be in the Great Hall after tea so if they didn't get the message we can announce it then."

Her eyes shone with gratitude and she hugged him tightly, nearly crushing his bones.

"Hermione I can't breath."

She let go of him and he could see a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

He smirked the famous Malfoy smirk and held out his hand.

"Come on, let's go and inform Dumbledore just how mad he is."

* * *

They didn't see the man in the shadows who hung his head in shame. He had done this to her and it was his fault that she turned to Draco for support. No-on else's but his. He entered the Great Hall through the teachers enterer and watched while she and Draco talked to the Headmaster, he was pleased to see that she was still angry at the Headmaster for dumping this on them at the last minute and was surprised when his godson motioned discretely for him to come over. He rose from his seat and made his way over to the trio. He could see Hermione's hand twitch and he knew it wasn't from the after effects of the curse. It was her wand hand.

"You get the Headmaster, I'll get Hermione."

"What. Why?"

Draco was watching Hermione's every move while trying to discretely shake his head at the Headmaster.

"Trust me on this one Severus."

They both made their way behind their persons and grabbed their arms, Draco took Hermione off to the side of the hall while Severus whispered furiously to the Headmaster. He glanced over at Hermione and saw that her opposite hand had started to tremble, this time it was the curses. He turned on the Headmaster who looked as though he had seen a Lemon Drop in his silvery white beard.

"What the hell did you do old man?"

"I merely inquired about getting a muggle band to play tomorrow that's all."

That was all, didn't he listen to a word he had said this afternoon!

"Albus, for once in your life see things other than Lemon Drops and Leprechauns. Look over at Miss Granger. See how her hand is shaking? Yes? Good, that is from over exposure to the Cruciatus curse over a long period of time. That was what she suffered at the hands of Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange."

Albus sighed, he looked...old. Which for someone who ate copious amounts of Lemon Drops and wore elaborate robes of all different colours everyday of the week was difficult to do.

"I do know my boy, and I was hoping that all this stress would make her crack."

Severus Snape had always looked up to the man who had been like a father to him but now he wasn't so sure if his father figure was sane.

"Albus you have exactly ten second to elaborate on what you just said then I'm sending you to Poppy."

"Do you know Severus she is the only person that hasn't broken down after the war." and at Severus' sneer he added, "I know you have, you warded your Floo a little too well a week after the war had ended."

"And if I had been doing something else?"

"Severus you have lived nearly every waking moment with Voldemort over your head. You were finally free and I know how I would feel."

Severus conceded to his logic.

"That still leaves the matter of Miss Granger, Albus."

"I know Severus, and as I was saying. She is the only one who hasn't broken down, Harry, Ron and Draco all have I saw to it that they all had doses of calming draught on hand. All she has done is work until she can work no more, sleep and then carry on working. It's not healthy not to grieve Severus you know that. We both know she lost her parents only moments before the final battle and what did she do when we told her? Nod politely and then she carried doing what she was doing before I interrupted her."

All of what he said made sense but making her breakdown by piling work on her until she nearly convulsed was too much.

"She has cried though, when I went to...see her this afternoon her eyes were slightly red and puffy."

Dumbledore looked over at the girl in question and Severus noticed that her hand had stopped shaking and she was now laughing at something that Draco had told her.

"Then maybe...we are breaking that wall around her."

Severus disagreed silently. Not we Headmaster, me.

* * *

Draco led her to the Slytherin side of the hall, keeping a tight grip on her wand arm. He blocked her view of the Headmaster and tried to reason with her.

"Hermione, listen to me. He was just being Albus, high on Lemon Drops as usual."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see her other hand start to twitch.

"Hermione you need to calm down," he wasn't getting through to her, he was going to hate himself later, "do you want everyone to know."

Her whole body froze as he spoke the phrase that she dreaded.

"No," came her quiet reply, "no I don't."

He could see her whole body relax and he let out a breath he didn't realise that he had been holding.

"You know Draco I think that Dumbledore would love muggle drugs."

He knew that talking about something muggle was her coping mechanism and he let it pass...for now.

"Hermione what in the world are muggle drugs?"

He looked so confused that she let out a small chuckle.

"Ahhh Draco the muggles invented wonderful things, who knows maybe one day you might try some."

She smirked and Draco felt sure that she wasn't going to hex the Headmaster into oblivion today. The doors to the Great Hall opened and the students flooded in. They both took their respective seats at their house table and waited for Dumbledore to make the announcement that everyone would have milk and cookies after supper.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could have your attention."

The hall quietened down as the Headmaster spoke, no one daring to talk over him.

"First of all let me wish you a very happy Christmas Eve and remind you that the Christmas Ball is tomorrow." Excited chatter filled the room and he had to call for silence once more. "I also wish to announce that after supper there will be milk and cookies for all as I believe that is a muggle tradition that children do which dates back to-"

A loud sneeze that came from Hagrid which stopped the Headmaster from making a mind numbingly boring speech. Some of the younger years chuckled and the older years cheered silently.

"Ah yes, where was I? Oh yes, let the feast begin!"

With a dramatic gesture different kinds of festive food filled the gold foiled plates and knives and forks could be heard scraping the plates.

* * *

By the time Hermione and Draco got back to their dorm it was late, late enough for ghost stories to be told but too early for it to be Christmas. The cookies and milk had gone down well, but towards end of it the Headmaster had more milk in his beard than in the glass, everyone (including the teachers) decided to keep that little fact to themselves though. A few of the younger years had nearly fallen asleep they had been that full. The Staff seemed to enjoy the cold milk that was provided with a smidgen of Irish whiskey, something that Dumbledore had recently discover d on one of his trips to Ireland. Overall the night had been a success.

With mumbled good-nights and synchronised yawns they headed up to bed. Both of them dreading the next day, the Christmas Ball.

* * *

**Please, please, please review and make my Christmas just that little bit more special :) **

**LooneyLovey **


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